Application of digital workflow and technologies in clinical paediatric dentistry: a scoping review

The purpose of the present scoping review is to map the literature reporting on the application of digital workflows and digital technologies in the diagnosis, treatment, or management of dental conditions in paediatric patients. Furthermore, the review focuses on identifying possible knowledge gaps in the area and developing specific recommendations for future investigations.

An electronic search was performed on 3 databases up to July 2023. After the authors independently screened the retrieved articles, they extracted the data and assessed the risk of bias using the JBI (The Joanna Briggs Institute) critical appraisal tools and the Cochrane Risk of Bias 1 tool, depending on the study design assessed.

After full-text assessment, 58 studies were identified that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results were divided into two groups according to the study design: 36 were research articles, and 22 were case reports; only the research articles were included in the qualitative synthesis. The most common topic was Scanners/3 d digital model analysis (11 articles), followed by Digital Imaging (8 articles). Digital applications were also a popular topic, and tele-dentistry and artificial intelligence were also present in the included studies.

Studies investigating the use of digital workflows and digital technologies in the diagnosis, treatment or management of dental conditions in paediatric dentistry are lacking. In general, future investigations should be based on higher quality studies; furthermore, the lack of studies on the clinical validation of digitally fabricated orthodontic devices and restorations in paediatric patients provides insights for future research.